Spring passed and autumn came, and another eight years went by.
Teach had now turned ten.
On this day, when Teach returned to the research institute from his training in the mountains behind it as evening fell, the sight before him left his entire body frozen—thick plumes of smoke and rows of collapsed buildings.
"Dad!"
Teach's face twisted in panic as he sprinted toward the residential compound.
With every step, his expression grew grimmer.
Scattered beside the collapsed buildings lay the bodies of the institute's guards.
There were low-level guards in gray uniforms, their strength unremarkable.
There were intermediate guards in yellow uniforms, their power comparable to pirates with bounties of a million.
And there were high-level guards in black uniforms, their strength equivalent to pirates with bounties of ten million.
By now, Teach could already defeat the black-uniformed guards, so their presence didn't shock him much.
But when he saw several red-uniformed guards—their bodies sliced open, their wounds charred, their corpses strewn everywhere—his heart was struck with terror.
These red-uniformed guards were all unfathomably strong, said to be on par with pirates boasting bounties of hundreds of millions, capable of roaming freely in the New World and ruling their own territories.
Yet now, they lay lifeless by the roadside, their eyes wide with unwillingness.
"What happened? Was it the explosions earlier?"
Teach recalled the short bursts of explosions he had heard while training in the mountains just minutes ago.
The research institute studied all sorts of things, and explosions were practically a routine occurrence, happening every few days.
So when he heard the noise today, Teach hadn't paid it much mind, assuming it was just another ordinary day at the institute.
But the scene before him made it clear—the institute had been attacked.
"The explosions were brief. That means the enemy's strength must have far surpassed the guards here, ending the battle in an instant."
Lost in his thoughts, Teach dashed into the residential compound and ran towards his home.
The front door was wide open, shattered into pieces.
Teach rushed inside, feeling along a wall until his fingers found a few raised spots.
With a slight exertion, he pried open a hidden seam in the wall, revealing a passageway.
This was a secret tunnel leading to a basement—one that Dottore and Teach had secretly dug over the years.
They had planned to dig deeper and eventually escape.
Though this place was safe, it offered no freedom.
Dottore didn't mind for himself, but he refused to let his son spend his entire life trapped on this small island.
As Dottore often said, Teach had a bright future ahead, the potential to become a great pirate.
He couldn't waste his life away in this research institute.
Hunching over, Teach entered the tunnel, sealing the hidden door behind him before hurrying down to the basement.
There he was!
His father, Dottore, sat in a chair with his back turned.
Relieved, Teach smiled and walked over.
"Thank goodness, Dad! You're okay. What happened up there?"
But as Teach stepped in front of Dottore, his smile slowly stiffened—replaced by a look of pure terror.
"No! Dad! Dad! You—"
Dottore leaned back in the chair, his body soaked in a large patch of dark red blood.
In his chest was a charred hole that went straight through his body.
Hearing his son's voice, Dottore regained a bit of consciousness.
He opened his eyes and forced a ghastly smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Teach, my child, cough..." Dottore coughed several times, spitting out bloody foam and fragments of internal organs, which made Teach panic.
Teach's face turned pale, at a loss, and he said urgently.
"Dad, wait for me, I'll go to the research institute and get those special medicines. They can definitely heal your injuries!"
As he spoke, Teach turned to run upstairs.
However, Dottore, with strength from who knows where, grabbed Teach's hand, his body being pulled along by Teach, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.
Teach's expression changed drastically, and he quickly turned back to support Dottore.
"Don't go, Teach. It's too dangerous up there, cough... The institute is finished. A mysterious group took away the researchers and the research results. Low-level researchers like us, who have no value, were all shot. Cough..."
Dottore caught his breath, holding his son's hand, and spoke with great difficulty.
Teach's eyes turned red, tears streaming down his face as he tightly gripped Dottore's hand, kneeling before him and looking up at his father's gaunt cheeks.
"But, Dad... your injuries..."
Dottore forced a weak smile, laboriously raising his hand to pat his son's head.
"Don't worry, Dad's fine. Teach, listen, cough... Dad has something to tell you. You must remember it deeply in your heart. It will help you in the future."
Teach couldn't speak, only nodding desperately.
Dottore steadied the sharp pain in his chest, mustering his strength to speak his mind.
"Child, do you know? When your mother was pregnant with you three siblings, something went wrong. The three of you grew together, and when you were born, you almost died."
"But misfortune turned into blessing—you gained the most unique body structure in this world, truly extraordinary!"
"You have three hearts, three souls. Do you know what this means?"
Teach's father was agitated, gripping his son's hand tightly as he spoke, ignoring the blood continuously spilling from his mouth.
"It means you can eat two, even three Devil Fruits! Even if you don't have the innate qualities of a king, you can still dominate these seas with this ability. You could even become the next Rocks!"
"Here, take this Devil Fruit encyclopedia, cough... Mr. Judge gave it to me. Study it well—memorize the appearances and characteristics of the Devil Fruits listed inside!"
"To avoid conflicts between abilities, Teach, it's best if you choose one Devil Fruit from each of the three types."
"Among them, the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit is the Dark-Dark Fruit. Legend says this was the power Rocks possessed. It can suppress all other Devil Fruit users, and the Dark-Dark Fruit is also your strongest tool for hunting other ability users! This information is top secret, all things I've learned over the years in this research institute."
"If possible, the first Devil Fruit you eat should be the Dark-Dark Fruit. Its unique trait is the ability to extract powers from other Devil Fruit users! Whether you use it for yourself or to cultivate subordinates, it's all possible."
"Among the Paramecia-type Devil Fruits, the strongest is undoubtedly the Tremor-Tremor Fruit possessed by Edward Newgate, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. The power of this fruit can overturn the seas—it's the most perfect and strongest naval combat ability in this world! If that can't be obtained, then the Float-Float Fruit of the great pirate Golden Lion is also one of the strongest Paramecia abilities!"
"Whitebeard has a good reputation on the seas; he likes to take in homeless orphans. Golden Lion is different—he's unpredictable and often flies in the sky, making it hard to track him down. Teach, you must join the Whitebeard Pirates. Only there will you have the best chance to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit."
"As for Zoan-type abilities, the strongest among them are the special Mythical Zoan fruits!"
"Dr. Vegapunk once said there's a Devil Fruit with the most immense Life Force in this world. If obtained, it could allow one's physique to strengthen almost without limit!"
"That is the Mythical Zoan, Fish-Fish Fruit, Model Kunpeng!"
"When you possess the strongest Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit, the strongest Paramecia-type Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and the strongest Zoan-type Fruit, even without the qualities of a king, Teach, you will become the strongest pirate in this world!"
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